Private unaided schools exempt from School Management Committee Guidelines 2026: Ministry of Education

New Delhi: The Ministry of Education on Wednesday clarified that the newly notified School Management Committee (SMC) Guidelines 2026 will not apply to private unaided schools, even as it encouraged such institutions to voluntarily constitute the panels to promote transparency and accountability.

The clarification came amid concerns raised by sections of private school managements following the Centre's announcement earlier this month of a revamped SMC framework under which each panel would be chaired by a parent, with the school's principal as member secretary. The ministry said the guidelines are not applicable to institutions covered under Section 2(n)(iv) of the Right to Education Act, provided they do not receive any aid or grants from the appropriate government or local authority.

“Such schools are still encouraged to constitute School Management Committees to promote greater transparency, accountability and participatory governance,” the ministry said in a statement.

The SMC Guidelines 2026, announced on May 6, replaced the existing School Management Development Committees (SMDCs), extending the framework to secondary and senior secondary schools up to Class 12. Union Education Minister Dharmendra Pradhan had described the move as an effort to "hand over education and school management to society," with the new committees required to meet at least once a month and prepare three-year school development plans with annual sub-plans and social audits.

The ministry on Wednesday reiterated its broader intent, stating that “education is a shared responsibility of the government, schools, parents and the community,” and that strengthening collaboration among all stakeholders was essential to improving learning outcomes.

School Education Secretary Sanjay Kumar had earlier said the framework would bring uniformity and greater community participation, with improved coverage of welfare schemes such as PM Shri. As per the original guidelines, every school must constitute an SMC within a month of the academic session beginning.